Wednesday, 28 June 2017

There is no question about it, it can be really hard. I've had this blog for nearly 4 years and as you can tell I go on and off blogging, even though without a shadow of a doubt I absolutely adore the process of writing and taking photos and getting that flutter in my heart of feeling all inspired.

It wasn't until recently I felt this feeling again like I do every year but with such an intensity that I hadn't before and through this I have managed to create 2 posts a week for 5 weeks which doesn't sound like a lot but for someone who is start out again and really wanting to give this a proper shot I think it's a good place to start.Write like a diary.
I think one way or a way in which I view this space is like a little diary. Obviously I wouldn't write about hugely personal things. But the whole point of this is so you can find someone to relate to and getting to know the person behind the photos and the writing and so if I have a life update, or thoughts I've been having and if I think they might be informative or might help someone then just jot it down. Bullet point out a post if you have your laptop near. I find things that I feel deeply about the writing just flows so easily and that's the best kind of writing. So write about your thoughts and feelings and tell people what you've done to feel that way or stop feeling that way, you never know who it might help!

Take Photos For No Reason - Just Because.
Some times just grabbing a camera and shooting can be the best thing to help inspire me. Whether I shoot copious amounts of flat lays to go with tips and lifestyle kinds of posts I just know that I'll be able to pick a few photos that will then accompany a post. Sometimes just from looking at my arrangement and the shots I've snapped I get a boost of inspiration and think I could write a post about it. Other times I'll look at the way things are shot on tumblr or instagram and then bank them, try to recreate photos in a similar style and bam another post pops into my head. I truly believe that taking photos and just playing with my camera really helps. I love photos and those are what instantly attract me to a blog or an instagram account (of course) So the more I shoot, the more I get inspired.

Other Bloggers.
What really helps me is just spending a few hours going through bloglovin' and reading through other blogs as well as leaving a comment because we all know how much we appreciate that. Just going through a few posts can really inspire me, whether it be a post that I feel I can relate and make my own comments and thoughts on (obviously straight up copying posts is a huge no no) and the style hugely influences me and I see pieces that I may be able to use that I own to help inspire a new style post and such.

Jot Down Any Ideas, Even Those Small Ones.
This is slightly like the first one, but if I have a cafe I want to check out, or have an outfit in mind or a thought that resinates with me I'll quickly write down in my phone (although I want to transfers to paper and pen) that way the idea won't disappear because we know how quickly a thought can enter and then leave our heads and even if you look later and you decide you don't like it well at least it was an option and you might get a different idea just from that first!

Get Out.
Get out of the house, go to that cafe or restaurant you wanted to go to. Go explore that town or that walking trail you wanted to go to. Sit on that beach, have that picnic, go to the pub. You get the idea. Your surroundings could spark an idea or two, a conversation with friends could help. Just seeing other people around you could help! We live in a world full of possibilities and we need to take advantage of it. Like they say - The world is your oyster. So get out, you never know what ideas you could come home with!

What do you do to help get your creativity and inspiration back? I'd love to hear!

Make sure you follow me on Bloglovin'. I'm planning on starting to post 1/2 times a week for now and that way you'll never miss a post and you can follow along my blogging journey with me!

You can also follow me on Instagram where I try and post daily photos and Twitter for daily rambles!

Sunday, 25 June 2017

Gingham, it's a trend that appears time and time again. If I'm honest, usually, when I see it I brush it aside and tell myself it's not a trend that interests me. However, this year it appears to be bigger and badder than ever. Not only is it in the usual black and white colours but I'm seeing it in blue, in red and it's really changed my opinion. So when I was having a look through sheinside one day I came across this cami and although I was still hesitant I thought how could I not at least give it ago for the steal price of £7 (well ok, £7.17 - but lets be honest the added 17p is nothing!) It doesn't break the bank at all and I get to dabble and pretend I'm up to date with all the trends flying around! Not to mention I have a soft spot for a relaxed peplum look since this top and so I knew it'd be a shame not too.

And guys, for £7 the quality is pretty damn good! I was worried it'd actually be too big and not have any shape to it. But there is no need to worry about it falling too low and showing your dignity and the peplum really is relaxed! It's totally swayed me to the trend now and with the weather we had that was amazing (and I hope returns) it sure would keep me cool and looking stylish still!

Anyone noticed my espadrilles, do they remind you of a certain designer? Well say hello to my Chanel espadrille dupe and the best thing about them? They were £12! Pretty good huh? I love them, there is something about the contrast of a really pale pink with a black toe front. If the weather perks up again these will not be leaving my feet!

Ok, I could talk about this outfit forever! We have the top, the Chanel dupe espadrilles and even my new favourite pair of jeans and my new favourite jacket! I had been on the hunt for a pair of new jeans for ages. I'm board of skinny jeans, don't get me wrong I'm no where near converted to flares but something with a looser fit is perfect! I loved the idea of a distressed hem also but didn't want any other rips on the jeans (picky right?) But when I saw these I didn't care there was a ripped knee I loved them and they have ticked all the boxes! Who knew New Look was the place for jeans!

Finally, the jacket. I had wanted a military-esque jacket for years but never took the plunge because I thought they didn't seem *cool*. However, when I saw EJStyle pose with this jacket I was so ready to get my own and actually got the same one as her! It's such a difference to wearing a denim or leather jacket all the time and it's just so perfect for summer! I wear it all the time and I'm so happy to finally have one in my wardrobe!

There you have it, the outfit of a few of my newest and favourite purchases all in one! Maybe I should do a haul!

What is a trend you are unsure of but kind of want to try?

Make sure you follow me on Bloglovin'. I'm planning on starting to post 1/2 times a week for now and that way you'll never miss a post and you can follow along my blogging journey with me!

You can also follow me on Instagram where I try and post daily photos and Twitter for daily rambles!Photography by my lovely friend: Instagram @AgnesBleach

Wednesday, 21 June 2017

So I saw this post on Sinead's blog and got all inspired because I saw how she wrote that her sister inspired the post and the more I thought the more I realised how this post is like a shout out to my own sister as she inspired me to write something on a similar wave length that Sinead had.

Of course in a way it's always a form of flattery when someone is always asking your opinion because it shows that they value your thoughts, but sometimes it can get a little draining. My boyfriend for example is always hammering on about how I can never make a decision by myself and I always catch myself texting my friend with any clothing opinions and although I do think it's always nice to get someones opinion I noticed how we both need to learn to make decisions by ourselves and trust that what we decide will be the right decision for us, no matter what opinions other people have.

Usually most of the time, we have already made our own decisions up and got an answer anyway and really all we're doing is wanting to find someone to agree with us to clarify we're making the right decision. Wouldn't it make things happen a lot faster if we weren't waiting for that reply or waiting to ask that person to agree with us? You know yourself whether you like a piece of clothing or not for example straight away when you try it on, so why do we waste time waiting for someone else to agree with what we already know.

Although I have been asking my friend whether I should blog about this or that, 9 times out of 10 I already know what I want to blog about and lets be honest it's my own little space so I should write what I want and if people like it they do and if they don't they don't, not everyone will like your blog.

What I'm going to try myself is think about whether I want the piece of clothing or if I want to write the post or not without asking people first. Because at the end of the day we are the authors of our own stories but it won't be our own story if we get people to help us edit it all the time!

Next time you feel you're not sure about it and wanting to ask someone try with me in stopping and thinking truly what it is you want to do, will it make you happy? Then see how you feel.

Make sure you follow me on Bloglovin'. I'm planning on starting to post 1/2 times a week for now and that way you'll never miss a post and you can follow along my blogging journey with me!

You can also follow me on Instagram where I try and post daily photos and Twitter for daily rambles!

Ask me what I wear on a day to day basis and it will more than likely be something paired with a plain tee. I decided I need try more looks and learn to add variation to my wardrobe. So I've been trawling through blogs and pinterest on ways in which I could style a plain tee and I came across the idea of layering with a cami dress. It's simple yet I feel anyone can look so good in it and it really does make a difference to a summer wardrobe. I'm actually now tempted to get a few in different colours and maybe even push it a little further and get a bit of lace on the dress. I can see how to dress it up for the evening and other ways to make it dressier but not too dressy in the day time too. They could be a really versatile piece if your wardrobe is quite minimal but you want to add a little something something to an outfit.

I've been wanting to shoot an outfit with these vans for a while, I just love them and was so excited because I'd been after them for awhile and found them for £30!! I love an ankle shoe with bare legs, I don't own a good pair of black boots yet so these are my alternative and I love it. Especially if I get a good tan this summer haha.

Make sure you follow me on Bloglovin'. I'm planning on starting to post 1/2 times a week for now and that way you'll never miss a post and you can follow along my blogging journey with me!

You can also follow me on Instagram where I try and post daily photos and Twitter for daily rambles!Photography by my lovely friend: Instagram @AgnesBleach

Wednesday, 14 June 2017

I have been looking for a skincare regime that works for me for ages. I have got numerous moisturisers. I've tried cleansers and toners and none have seemed to give me the result I'm after. I aim to get a a glowing skin that is blemish free and I was finding that nothing was really giving me the results I was after and I also seemed to be getting spots left right and centre as well as my skin looking and feeling dull and unhappy.

So I decided to book my mum and I into a Clinique consultation. We sat down and I was asked how I felt about my skin and what I'd like it to be like and after this the lovely lady at the counter went away and picked what products she thought would be best for me. Honestly, when she came back with the anti-blemish collection I thought this wasn't right at all. I didn't think I needed the blemish collection (I'm so naive to skincare I didn't think it entailed the spots I was getting) how embarrassing to admit. Nonetheless I let her show me what it did. We started with the foam wash as although I had no make up or anything on my skin she said it would just help calm the skin, open pores and take away any left over oil and things.

Then we moved onto step 2 the clarifying lotion. This gently exfoliates the skin and takes away dead skin cells and anything left on the skin. When this step was done to me I was horrified to see that foundation was coming off onto the cotton pad and I hadn't worn any for a couple of days, she explained that exfoliating was so important because using make up removers although they do what they say on the bottle they don't exfoliate the skin, so usually no matter how much you scrub you will still have remains of make up on the skin without exfoliating.

Lastly was the blemish gel which was just applied to the areas that needed the most attention, when the second and third step was applied each time it tingled which is my favourite because I can always tell something is working when it tingles.

It was such a lovely experience and since applying these three steps to my regime day and night the results really have made a massive difference to my skin. It's removed spot scars I have, it rids me of the spots really quickly, my skin looks clearer and it even has that glow I wanted. Also as well as using an eye cream I feel its changed the dark circles around my eyes. I am amazed, I've never had something with such good results and these will be products I know I will repurchase again and again.

Do you have any clinique products you like?

Make sure you follow me on Bloglovin'. I'm planning on starting to post 1/2 times a week for now and that way you'll never miss a post and you can follow along my blogging journey with me!

You can also follow me on Instagram where I try and post daily photos and Twitter for daily rambles!

Sunday, 11 June 2017

I cannot get enough of graphic tees at the moment, the are so big this season and everyone seems to be wearing them every where you look! Especially THAT gucci tee, that did the rounds on social media and man was it really nice, but the price tag however was something I and I'm sure many weren't willing to pay. That's why on many of my scouring the internet moments this fell into my life, I saw it. Went to town and nabbed it and boy am I glad I did. At the moment it's currently saying it's all sold out online but I'm sure there are some still in store, well there was in my local Topshop when I took a visit last week. But hopefully if you're persistent enough one will pop up because if it's not already I think this will be all over the blogosphere in no time.

I decided to team it with my denim skirt, which by the way topshop can we have a little more material please the horror of realising your bum is on display and having to use your jacket as a tie around to cover up is not very chic! Pairing it with my trusty belt and there you have it. This belt I add to pretty much every outfit I really think it just pulls the whole look together, any look for that matter. I'm actually currently on the look out for a gucci belt dupe to change up belts now and again so if any of you have found one let me know where!

I love a good dupe and that's what my space aims to be a place where people can come and relate to the outfits as they are at a price range that most of us can afford. Don't get me wrong I love a good designer and seeing what other bloggers are getting and I mean who wouldn't want a the latest designer handbag. But right this moment not all of us can and a lot of us are just happy with the dupes and so that's what I aim to do, style affordable outfits for most if not all my readers and help you find those dupes so you too can recreate those high end looks but with a small price tag!

Make sure you follow me on Bloglovin'. I'm planning on starting to post 1/2 times a week for now and that way you'll never miss a post and you can follow along my blogging journey with me!

You can also follow me on Instagram where I try and post daily photos and Twitter for daily rambles!Photography by my lovely boyfriend.

Wednesday, 7 June 2017

So for a while now I've been feeling awful. I would say I have been feeling anxious about things and also really sad as well. In all honesty it has begun to scare me just how worried and sad I can feel on days. Especially during this last month I have a lot of sad emotions and it's all been put on my poor boyfriend who has had to put up with the lack of motivation and the break downs of tears that shake my whole body. As well as the ridiculous worries over everything that I know are silly but I just can't help it.

I have been trying for a while to figure out why I feel like this, I think it's things to do with work, friendships, past events and the norm of relationship arguments that are heightened by my emotions at the moment. But I think one main culprit is social media. I scroll when I'm on public transport, I scroll when watching tv, I scroll every morning and every night before bed. I follow so many amazing bloggers and travel bloggers and yes I enjoy seeing everything and it gives me such inspiration and amazement at what can be created and I am so proud and in awe of what people have achieved. But it also makes me think of all the things I long for but feel like I'll never be able to achieve and places I'll never travel to. I also wouldn't say I'm materialistic but seeing people post outfits and things all day everyday I long to own it just to look as good as them and to post with outfits that look amazing and it does fuel your clothing need seeing it all the time (well it does for me anyway)

It's also so easy to see what people get up to every second and when I spend weekends doing nothing and seeing people out and about and travelling it really gets to me. I know it's not hard to go out and do things, but sometimes I struggle to think of ideas that both me and my boyfriend can enjoy - that's a different story. But it's very easy to be sucked into it all through just swiping all day every day. Recently there was a survey that said that instagram is the main cause of anxiety and depression for those between 14-24 years old and it really made me think, is this why I feel the way I do? Its all so easily accessible and so easy to just post what you want people to see and although I am also aware of that I feel like it's still tricky for me. I promised myself I'd never be someone who lets it influence me and my emotions but without realising it I feel it really has begun to effect me.

So that's why I decided that I need to take a step back from social media a lot more. I want to start picking up my phone less and not being fussed about what people are wearing or travelling too or even just getting up to in the day. Of course I want to achieve what others are able to but I know its incredibly hard work. So I decided on Wednesday (this day was picked due to the fact I knew I was going to be busy) to have a complete social media and shopping app free day, I deleted all my social media and shopping apps so I wasn't tempted and honestly it was quite refreshing. It helped that I had a day full of eating and enjoy time with my best friend and getting content for my blog and instagram. But I didn't really get the itchy feeling of wanting to scroll and things nor did think about the things I was missing. I was just enjoying being the moment properly spending time with peoples whose company I was in. I think honestly it really benefitted me, I didn't get the sinking feeling of wanting to be doing and creating what others were I was just focusing on me and what I wanted to take photos of.

I think even if it's something you enjoy doing, everyone needs to take a break once in a while to regather your thoughts and bring yourself back to the hear and now, even if its for 5-10 minutes. It really does do you the world of good and I think I will try from now on to stop picking my phone up too often and even try to have a social media detox once a week because it's really healthy.

Have any of you taken days away from everything or have a day every week where you don't touch it?

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' I'm aiming to post 1-2 times a week for now and that way you can follow my blogging journey with me!

You can also follow me on Instagram where I try to post daily and my Twitter for life rambles!

Sunday, 4 June 2017

I am definitely someone who wears little colour, although I am currently in the midst of trying to change that and find my style/wardrobe and beginning to try and draw myself to prints and a little colour. But that's another story. Living in England we are graced with glorious weather that likes to shine sun and then within a second it can change to pouring down with rain. So for weather that's as crazy as what we get to experience I like to always carry round a layer with me.

Usually I just go with covering my legs, I don't know what it is but I always feel warm with my legs covered. This year I have tried to embrace it the other way round and what better way to stay warm than teaming a dress with a leather jacket. There is just something about teaming a black leather jacket to a black outfit even in the summer that makes you feel put together but with minimal effort, throw in a pair of sunglasses to any outfit in the summer in fact and I think you can look really chic. Not to mention the look a leather jacket can give to those girly looking outfits! Of course I opted to add in some white to this outfit with the converse but when you're strolling around town all you really want is a lot of comfort.

This dress I got a few years ago after purchasing the white one which you can see in this post, and honestly I bring this back out every year, I just think they're so easy to wear when it's hot but you can really style them how ever you want because of how plain they are. I mean who doesn't want basics that they can play around with in their wardrobe?!

Make sure you follow me on Bloglovin'. I'm planning on starting to post 1/2 times a week for now and that way you'll never miss a post and you can follow along my blogging journey with me!

You can also follow me on Instagram where I try and post daily photos and Twitter for daily rambles!